Once you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you know the importance of keeping it under control. However, this is not something you have ever had to deal with so what are some ways you can manage it in addition to the medications your doctor has prescribed? In fact, are there things you can do to keep it within a healthy range? Knowing that heart disease is often a silent killer, you want to do everything in your power to prevent that if at all possible. Let’s get you started with these 4 tips proven effective – if you follow them, that is!
1. Reduce Stress
Although this is easier said than done, there are some key ways you can keep stress in your life to a minimum. One of the ways in which many sufferers of high blood pressure just like yourself have advised is that you learn to let things that aren’t important go. Bear in mind there are some things you just can’t control, such as the behaviour of another adult, so learn to let them handle their own situations. Once you realise what is important enough to be concerned with, you will find it much easier to keep your blood pressure under control.
2. Learn to Monitor Your Blood Pressure
If you don’t already have a blood pressure monitor, this should immediately be added to your shopping list. You can find a range of affordable blood pressure monitoring devices on the medical-supermarket.com website and you don’t need to be a medical professional to order there. You just might find this to be an invaluable aid in learning to let go of unimportant things that seem to cause you undue stress. By monitoring your blood pressure from time to time throughout the day, you will be able to see what might be affecting it adversely.
3. Reduce Salt and Caffeine in Your Diet
While food just doesn’t taste the same without adding a shake or two of salt, it can be lethal to anyone with high blood pressure. Limit your salt intake because it will cause fluid retention in the body, which can also lead to congestive heart failure. Coupled with blood pressure that is already high, this can create a life-threatening situation for your body as will caffeine that will set your nerves on edge. In other words, they didn’t create decaf coffee for nothing!
4. Get Plenty of Exercise and Rest
Are you sleeping 6 to 8 hours a day? If not, that should top your ‘to-do’ list. Overtaxing the body due to inadequate rest can quickly lead to high blood pressure and that’s what you are trying to avoid. Also, talk to your cardiologist about the kind and amount of exercise you should be giving your heart. There are safe cardio workouts for people with issues such as high blood pressure and you should know that keeping your heart ‘tuned’ would help reduce extra stress on that all-important muscle.
These 4 tips should have you on your way to a natural reduction of unhealthy high blood pressure but as always, refer to what your doctor has prescribed for you in terms of diet and lifestyle. You will almost assuredly find the above tips at the top of their list as well.